Six months ago, a worldwide pandemic and lockdowns across the globe seemed like something reserved for a sci-fi movie. With the unexpected quickly coming into force, most of us had to adjust to a new way of living with no idea when or if things would ever be quite the same again.
A new normal came into play and regular news updates left us feeling rather uncertain about what was going on. One thing was for sure – staying in our homes and continuing to live our lives the best way we knew how was what we had to do. As we take tentative steps out into the world again, we are quickly realising that some sectors really won’t be the same, but for others, they seem to have positively flourished throughout.
In light of this we take a look at some of the sectors that have managed to look a lockdown in the eye and thrive.
Home and garden
If you were one of the many that sat back and took a look around your house when you finally had the time to sit down and gather your thoughts, one of those might well have been, “what can I do next?”. Redecoration is often reserved for those long, rainy weekends with nothing else planned, but with a lockdown restrictions in place, it seemed those prime decorating days were about to come around sooner than expected.
Towards the end of April/early May, sales in the home and garden sector were up over 110% year on year, and if you tried to buy paint alone at one point, you would have struggled to even get onto many home improvement websites to take a look at products, such was the demand at one time. As of early July, you will still struggle to buy Dulux paint online, being directed to your local store instead.
And it isn’t just paint materials that boosted the sector, garden furniture seemed to be a popular item for those looking to uplift their outdoor space now they found themselves at home an awful lot more. Outdoor plants and kitchen utensils contributed to sales as well, with more variations of breads being created at home than ever before – a slice of sourdough anyone?
Gift sector
Mother’s Day marked the end of social life as we knew it with the official UK lockdown being announced the very next day. However, recommendations were certainly being taken on board beforehand, so this gifting day really kicked off what was to be quite the lift for the gift sector.
During lockdown, Easter also took place, and what felt like most of our friends and family’s birthdays too. Add to this the need to reach out in a thoughtful way to those closest to us, but seemingly so far away and show a little love from a distance, and the market took off. From Easter onwards, the sector really took off with a meteoric rise by early May with a 245% increase in year on year sales.
Online gaming
Many of us have been left feeling rather unlucky this year, what with the global virus and all, and it seems a lot of people have tried to turn their luck around by heading online for a flutter. Though the online gambling industry was rather successful anyway, there has certainly been an uplift in those looking to turn their fortune around, and for those interested in a flutter, CasinoTopsOnline recommends a selection of high-roller sites to play through.
Virtual betting, casino, gaming, and slots have seen a year on year increase, presumably due to the fact that betting on live events has become non-existent and more people are at home. According to gamblingcomission.gov.uk, online casino sites saw a 3% rise, year on year (March 2019 to March 2020), while the figure jumped 25% alone from March to April this year. Poker saw a 38% year to year uplift and a whopping 70% increase from this March to April.
Food and Drink
Online food and drink brands took a big portion of sales from physical stores after smaller shops were forced to close or offer deliveries only and supermarkets restricted visitors and the number of items they were allowed to buy.
Add to this, physical limitations and it seemed that online shopping for food and drink was a simpler way forward. The end of March and early April saw a boom in online sales and referrals with the latter reaching upwards of 400% year on year. No one likes to see their wine supplies dwindling after all.
